ECS Coffee makes summer delicious

ECS Coffee, a thriving family owned business began in the coffee market but has rapidly evolved into something much more than just coffee. We are now known for high end kitchenware in addition to having an impressive selection of coffee. The brands ECS now features are the best of the best. From Le Crueset and Wusthof to Vitamix and Technivorm there is no shortage of items to add to your wishlist!

Currently our summer stock includes gadgets for the serious griller, a huge array of barware, machines and drinks for hosting the perfect summer get together.

Here are some of our favorite summer drinks:

Strawberry Watermelon Cooler

                                        Recipe:

• Carbonate water using SodaStream

• Pour carbonated water into serving glass

• Add 1oz of Torani Watermelon Syrup

• Add 1oz of Torani Strawberry Syrup, serve with ice and enjoy!

Chocolate Vanilla Chai Chiller

                                        Recipe:

• Brew Prospect Vanilla Chai single serve tea on 6oz setting
• Add 6oz of milk or cream
• Add 1oz of Torani Chocolate Syrup
• Add 3/4oz of Torani Chai Tea Syrup
• Mix and serve over crushed ice, enjoy!

Cranberry Raspberry Lemonade

                                        Recipe:

• Carbonate water using SodaStream
• Add 1.5 pump of Country Time Lemonade Syrup
• Add 1 pump of Ocean Spray Cranberry Raspberry Syrup
• Pour over 8oz of carbonated water, add ice and enjoy!

At ECS we enjoy creating new drinks so come on in and let us show you the many options available in store. Or chose one of our free classes to pick up some new recipes or skills http://www.ecscoffee.com/classes-calendar 

We have 4 conveniently situation locations, Ancaster, Burlington, Kitchener and Milton. We invite you to come by and try one of our drinks of the month and let us show you how to take your next event to the next level with delicious foods and fantastic drinks both hot and cold!

StaminaFibre Pillow - Review

I often listen to my hubby complain about waking with a stiff/sore neck. We were assuming he slept wrong or his pillow was just getting old and needed to be replaced again. I know the same thing happens to me from time to time. Perhaps it's just that we are getting old and it's just a part of aging to have aches and pains that we have never had before.

One evening before bed I told hubby I had a gift for him. Not sure what he was expecting but he seemed genuinely surprised when I tossed a StaminaFibre pillow at him. I encouraged him to try the new pillow to see if it helped his sleep. Perhaps he'd even wake up without this persistent neck pain .He pulled it out of the zippered storage bag and gave it a squeeze. The first thing he said was "wow, that's really firm". I agreed that it was firm but thought it would be a good thing but he was really skeptical. As with every other pillow he was certain that after a month or 2 of use it would be just as flat as all the other pillows he's been through but he slid it into a pillow case and dropped it at his spot in the bed.

The next morning I asked him how his neck was. It was fine but he thought it was just a coincidence. He did mention that it was just too stiff for him. I had another look at the packaging to see if it had any info on washing. I figured if I washed it it might loosen up a bit. According to the package it said it was washable, durable and wouldn't flatten or clump so I threw it in the washer. It washed really well but took two cycles in the dryer to become fully dry to the centre. I was pleasantly surprised that it was just as full and puffy. Hubby used it that night again and agreed that while it was still really full it had a bit of give for his head now. He's actually been using the pillow every night since and has noticed an improvement in his sleep and his stiff neck is gone. When I asked him to share his opinion of the pillow he said "it's like I stole the pillow from a luxury hotel".

I had always heard that the key to a good sleep is your mattress and I do agree, but I also think the pillow plays an important role as well. No more buying the $10 cheapo pillows. The StaminaFibre pillow is definately a bit more money but it has proven to be a worthy investment. With a 3 year Guarantee you can't really go wrong. I have bought new pillows every 6 months or so because they never wash well. so if I add that up over 3 years I would have spend more on cheap pillows that what the StaminaFibre Pillow sells for. If you go to their website you can find this pillow  any many other products.

You can learn more:

I have one of these amazing pillows up for grabs! If you or someone you love is suffering from a poor nights sleep and/or waking with a stiff neck this is the pillow for you! a Rafflecopter giveaway

How to soften towels

You know that feeling when you get out of the shower and your grab your brand new, big, fluffy, bath sheet and wrap it around your body? It's like a soft, warm hug! If you are anything like me you want them to stay that way forever, but they don't. No, it's not as easy as washing them with your favourite detergent and adding a great fabric softener then tossing them in the drying on the "fluff cycle".

In fact those things actually contribute to roughing up your towels. All those great smelling laundry products build up in the fibres over time. So what do you do? Find a new, better product? Sure, and you might even get them a tad softer. Or you could go buy new towels every few months? Um, no. I can't afford that!

After scouring the web for ideas I was surprised to see that the answer might be very simple. I saw people recommending the following things:

• Soaking in hot water with fabric softener for an hour before each wash (who has time for that?!)
• 15 Easy Steps to soft towels! (I'm not buying that. If there are FIFTEEN steps it ISN'T easy)
• Sodium tripolyphosphate. (What now? If I can't say it and I'd have to go to a chemistry supply store it's WAY too much effort for me.
• Adding a cup of salt to the wash cycle. (I salt my fries, not my laundry.)

I guess you are starting to see a trend here. I'm looking for a sure fire way to do it with as little effort as possible. After trying all sorts of combinations here's what I can say worked really well for me.

1. Go shopping! Buy a pack of tennis balls from your local dollar store. Three seems like a good number. Then hit your grocery store and get a big box of baking soda and a big bottle of white vinegar. You can get the Big box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda at a big box store for next to nothing. Same with the vinegar.
2. Start your machine on your favourite cycle using warm or hot water.
3. Add your detergent, 1 cup of the baking soda and 1 cup of the vinegar.
4. Toss in your towels, but not too many. They need room to swirl around and get clean.
5. Avoid the temptation to use liquid fabric softeners. They build up, making towels crunchy and therefore less absorbent.
6. When your load is finished, transfer to your dryer along with the tennis balls and a fabric sheet (if you MUST have that extra scent added)
7. Dry them on your heat setting but remove them just before they are fully dry. You don't want to cook them.

You should find they are dramatically improved! It certainly works for me! 

I'd love to hear your tips! Have any tried and true methods, please share them in the comments.

Roo Reviews: Andreas Clips and More

What Roo said:

I loved everything! I especially loved the hair bow because it was like a zebra and that's my favourite animal.

The suspenders were kinda loose, mommy tightened them but she didn't tighten them enough for me probably because she didn't want them to hurt me.

The tie was really cool, It felt soft and silky and looked great on me even though I am not a boy! Girls can wear boy stuff too!

The hairband was pretty, it even had a jewel and I love jewels. When I wear it I think it sparkles so other people can see it! If I wiggle my head a little bit people will see the sparkle and ask me where I got it.
I've been wearing it since forever and my ears aren't hurting. Sometimes my hairbands make me hurt this one doesn't. I think I want to buy more of this stuff for my friends and we can have a fashion party.

What Mom said: 

Everyone knows that having a girl means all things pretty.
Pretty clothes and shoes, Pretty hair-dos etc

But when you see someone with great accessories, you think "wow, she looks really put together!"
That should be no different for little girls! Why should us ladies have all the fun?

We buy cute shiny baubles and too tiny purses for holding their lip gloss but what about hair accessories or even a pair of suspenders? Everyone who's been paying attention knows that my daughter and co-blogger, Roo, is pretty non traditional, though very very into fashion. So when she saw a pair of suspenders in her package from Andrea's Clips & More she actually squealed! They looked fab with the outfit she had chosen to wear. The other items received we loved as much, a beautiful hairband that Roo hasn't stopped wearing and hair clips. We also got an adorable hat with a bear on it. Sadly that one did not fit my big headed girl so on our day trip tomorrow we'll be bringing that along for my niece! She'll love it!

One thing I noticed was that the bows seemed to be really durable, extra reinforced, there's virtually no way the bow will come away from the clip. The clips were super easy to use meaning they'd be great even for the younger wiggly toddlers who don't want to sit long enough to get their hair done.

Great product, good prices and after checking out her website I was really impressed to see that she offer a lot more that just the things we're testing out. For the new mom, she has a bunch of amazing items to save you from losing some of your important gear. Toy clips, sippy cup clips and even a special leash for Sophie the Giraffe!

GREAT NEWS FOR EVERYONE!
Andrea has offered all of my readers a discount!
Save 10% off your order by using this code
CLIP10
when you visit www.andreasclips.com

Best of all Andreas Clips & More have provided us with a couple goodies to giveaway! If you have kids in your life and want to win here's how:

Don't forget to leave your name and email address. You can't win if you're anonymous.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thought Provoking Thursday: Age

I decided to start a new feature here on the blog. With all the fad features going around I wanted something that would cause my readers to think a little bit. 

Here's my equation: Health + Experience - Joy = Second Age

Consider this; I am 36 and out of shape (like so many), have had depression, cancer, a heart implant and blood transfusions. That's a lot. So when I contemplate my physical age, I might say my body has endured strain beyond my 36 years. 

Flip the coin and I'll tell you about my mental age. I have had many difficulties in my life starting at a young age, though through it all I've always prided myself in keeping my spirits up, laughing and learning through it all. Speaking of laughing, did I mention I have been a mother for over 16 years which, lets face it, ages me drastically. My life experiences are much like my health experiences, well beyond my years. 

Those two things should have me at an age so much older that I could comfortably hang out with my Grandma and her friends and no one would suspect otherwise. "Hey pretty lady", the seniors would say, "how do you stay so young looking?" Ok, perhaps they'd know but I could still fit in.

I have a 5 year old and I never knew that would keep me young! I go to the park with her and yes, I do go down the slide and swing on the swing from time to time. We have mommy daughter date nights. We work together in the kitchen creating delicious goodies all while giggling! I look forward to her Kindergarten antics more than almost anything in life. My husband and son love outings so we find ourselves at rock concerts, or amusement parks. We have family game nights, movie nights, sports nights etc. These things keep me more active and full of joy. Therefore taking away from some of the things that age me.

So what do I figure my age would be?
36
I know, I know, that's my TRUE age.

I'm just as surprised as you, but it's where I am physically. When all the writing is on the wall, truth be told, for the first time in my life I am comfortable with myself and I am happy where I am.

How about you? Ignore all the birthdays and tell me, what age do you FEEL?
Feel free to share my picture and get others talking about their age!

Aussie Reviews - Nexus 7 Tablet

Guess what? It's almost time to go back to school! Forget about the pencils and paper. What your teen really needs is a way to stay connect and keep organized without all the heavy books and paper. How about a laptop? no. too expensive and still really heavy. What about a tablet? But I'm not talking about an iPad or even an ipad mini, I'm talking about the Asus Nexus 7! I was fortunate enough to receive a Nexus 7 a little while ago, so I have had a chance to truly test this tablet out.        

Let's talk about what comes in the box. You get the Nexus 7 tablet, Quick Start Guide and the warranty, and the box it comes in is really nice. After pulling out the tablet my first thought was, how is the screen? Does the 7” screen look crystal clear, are the colours  vibrant and true to real life? well it answered my questions right away. The startup screen look so crisp and the colours looked amazing, beyond what my expectations were. Next up the technical specs. Like I said it had a stunning 7” display powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor. Android 4.2 (jelly bean) OS with 4.3 update. 1GB of ram and 16 or 32GB of internal storage with available 3G data plan upgrade.

Photo credit: UberGizmo.com

For the people who are unsure what the tech specs mean, it just means it loads and plays videos, apps and music with no issue and as a bonus for Android users all you need to do is add your Gmail account and all your things will load onto the Nexus. Laptops and tablets and generally quite expensive ranging from a $400 to anywhere over $1000 but the Nexus 7 has an amazing price starting at $199.99 for the 16GB and the highest priced model at only $229.99 for the 32GB version. I got the 32GB one and I sugest spending the extra $30 bucks on the better version, more memory is better. Although I have given this tablet a solid review,  it does have two downsides. The camera and the speaker.  

For one its only front facing and its only 1.2MP so the quality is really bad. I mean I'm usually the first person to say people who take pictures with a tablet look odd but sometimes it’s kind of nice to have. The sound from the built in speaker sounds good but its on the back side of the tablet often right where i like to put my hand. if you want the best sound headphones are recommended. It is very obvious to me this tablet is intended for mostly entertainment but hey maybe you don't think your teen deserves a tablet. Go get one for yourself and make them jealous because I know I  would be....  I rate this 7/10

PS: for those of you who read my last post I watched VGHS and I really enjoyed it. if you haven't watched it its available via netflix and free on youtube.

30 Minute A Day Chore Chart

I regularly have people asking me what house cleaning system I use because even though I have a day job, I also spend a lot of time blogging, and still have a great amount of family time, yet  my home is still tidy. 

Where DO I find the time?!

Believe me, if it was in my budget I would have hired help! A housekeeper once a week is my dream luxury! Sadly I do not have the kind of lifestyle or budget that warrants it. Even though I have twice pleaded my case to the Mr. I keep getting shot down. 

So, until I find my situation changes I had to find a way to spend as little time cleaning as possible. Because frankly none of us WANT to clean, but we also don't want the neighbours thinking the closest dump is at your house.

I tried so many different things. Nothing really helped/worked, but lets face it I'd rather be doing ANYTHING other than cleaning. Don't believe me? Here's a list of things I'd rather do when I should be cleaning:

Watch my nails grow 

(*snort* as if they really do)

Iron socks and underwear

(no really, people DO that!)

Observe the drying of painted walls 

(which would leave me high afterwards...)

Watch the bubbles in my soda until it is flat 

(Count them as they pop for extra points)

De-seed a massive watermelon with a toothpick 

(then flick them at my napping hubby!)

Cut my grass with scissors 

(what else do you do if your lawn mower is on the fritz?)

Read War and Peace to my five year old 

(she's dramatic, she can act it out!)

Are you beginning to understand just how much I will do to avoid scrubbing toilets and cleaning my fridge?

So after many attempts to get a working routine that I would ACTUALLY follow, I found this little gem. It was created by Amy over at My 3 Monsters

It truly works, it keeps me sane and my house tidy (relatively)  and it leaves me with a lot of time. Basically it helps me achieve a really nice work, blog, family, housework balance and that, my friends, is worth a fortune! Though if you click through to her site you can get it for FREE and a template to create your own, if this one doesn't quite work.

You can thank me later!

Do you have a system that keeps your home clean? Or do you scoff at the idea of a housework routine?

Aussie Reviews: Loot Crate

This weeks review is on a product called Loot Crate. If you haven't heard of Loot Crate here is what they have to say about their product:

"You can join LootCrate for less than $20(USD) $30(CAD). We find great new Businesses & Partners with great products to deliver an awesome experience. Every Loot Crate is curated around a geeky theme. Loot Crate is Delivered monthly to your doorstep and it is shipped the 20th of every month."

From the moment I entered my credit card I was extremely excited to see what would be in the July Loot Crate. I had heard of this of this awesome service from one of my favourite YouTubers and I knew that I needed to buy it. Something I noticed while unboxing my Loot Crate is that everyone has a unique name, July has the title of VARSITY. The reason that VARSITY is the name of the crate is that Freddie Wong, the creator of popular YouTube Show Video Game High School was the Co-Curator on this month’s crate. The neat items that were in this months crate included:

1.) The LootCrate box upon delivery

2.) The open box with all of the contents Including Star Wars Earbuds. Each looter had the chance of receiving one of several versions of these Earbuds. Yoda, Darth Maul, C3P0 and Darth Vader, which is what I got. 

3.) VGHS Stormtrooper Vinyl StickerI liked this sticker enough to put it on my computer

4.) Rocket Jump Vinyl Sticker-I got this sticker a put it straight on my computer

5.) Marvel Pez Dispenser-Each looter had the chance of getting one of a few options including Captain America, Thor, The Hulk and I received Iron Man

6.) Video Game High School button SetTo me I don't understand why buttons were created because all they do is put holes in your clothes but I still thought they were a cool item.

7.) Video Game High School Season 1 DVD two disc set-

I had never heard of this Youtube series before but I do plan on watching it in the future

8.) Sonic the Hedgehog Air Freshener-Honestly I was a little surprised about how good it smelled. I was expecting a cheap gross smelling scent. It was cute and smelled really great!

Not pictured: VGHS "Emergency Wireless Keyboard" (cleverly disguised as a pencil!)-I thought this was very funny because I just did a review on a wireless keyboard and mouse.

After I went through all the items I decided to open the DVD case for Video Game High School and I noticed that one of the discs fell out of place and was badly scratched. Needless to say I was kind of mad that I had just received the crate and it had an item that was damaged. So I contacted the people at Loot Crate and they were nice enough to send me a new copy of the DVD free of charge. I was happy with the overall experience of this product and the customer support and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of geeky things like video games, sci-fi, comic books etc.

If you are interested in looking at previous Loot Crates or reading more information on this product click here http://mbsy.co/lootcrate/291571

I give it a 7/10   See you next week, 

Austin

Aussie Reviews: Logitech Wireless Mouse and Keyboard

Have you ever had that thought that you wish you could just lean back and put your keyboard on your lap and be comfortable without having to be tied to a desk and be in an uncomfortable position? Well, might I recommend a solution?

The Logitech Wireless Desktop MK710.

First of all, let me tell you a few features for the Logitech Wireless MK710. I'll start off talking about some of the keyboard features. It has a cushioned palm rest and an LCD screen to show battery life, Num Lock, Caps Lock and Scroll Lock. Next is the mouse with sculpted shell that has a really natural feel for maximum comfort, next and previous page button and hyper fast scrolling that can be activated at the push of a button. The keyboard and mouse have some shared features; for example they are both wireless, both connected by a Logitech Unifying Receiver to keep all logitech devices on one usb, it has a proven three year battery life and both are ergonomic and comfortable. 

With a price tag of $99.99(CAD)  It almost feels like a steal because it in my opinion it is extremely well priced and worth every penny.

I have a lot of experience with this keyboard and mouse set. I actually use the Logitech Wireless MK710. After receiving it I can't even imagine going back to a wired system. I think they are both really durable and can and have taken quite a beating. Lets just say the mouse and keyboard have been dropped a lot and it still works like the day i got it. it runs on batteries but I’m still running on the batteries i put in them on day one so don’t see that as a negative. In the box its come with a disc that lets you fully customize each key and let you change the hotkeys. So, say you want to disable the annoying Caps Lock from ever enabling again, now you can. Or maybe you want to open your favorite game at the push of a button. You can do that as well. 

I only have one issue with the keyboard and that is that the keys are not lit up for use in low light areas. Overall I would highly recommend this product to family and friends and I rate it 8.5/10       

If you wish to buy this product or even check out more Logitech items visit their website.

Product Review- Gnaw Chocolate

Hey, have YOU heard of Gnaw? I bet you haven't yet.

I know I hadn't!

When I first heard of Gnaw I wondered what on earth it was. Here's what the folks are Gnaw have to say to answer that question:

From discerning chocolate enthusiasts to fun-loving sweet-fiends, our collection has something for everyone. Our bars come in over 30 different (and sometimes surprising) flavours, using the most delicious ingredients we could lay our hands on and recipes perfected by experienced Gnawfolk chocolatiers.
The folks at Gnaw have had a lot of fun getting creative with our chocolate range – and whether you crave devastatingly dark delicacies or ludicrously munchable goodies, we hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Well who can say no to that? I know I couldn't pass up the change to try it and I am glad I did. Actually no, no I'm not. We've never eaten so much gourmet chocolate! The flavours we initially tried were both fantastic.

Banofee Pie- Banana-Caramel-Creamy-Pie scrumminess over milk chocolate.

This flavour was to die for. Seriously if I was on my death row this would be the dessert I'd request for my last meal. Now let's hope that never happens, but if it did....

Rocky Road- Marshmallow and Vanilla Fudge Bumps on the milk chocolatey road of life. Yeah this was a HUGE hit with my kids and why wouldn't it be! A huge bar of delicious rocky road chocolate to share. The only issue was it didn't break fairly because of the marshmallows! We had a near meltdown when one piece was bigger than the others. You know how that goes?
Well, once I calmed my husband down by giving him the big piece we were all good!



Gnaw chocolate comes in a multitude of really luxurious flavours. Personally I can't wait to get my hands on a bar called Go Bananas. Something really cool is that they actually have a couple of options with noadded sugar!

Because Gnaw is new to Canada, it is hard to find (for now anyway) Currently it can be found in the following locations:

McEwans	http://mcewan.mcewangroup.ca/
Summerhill Market	http://www.summerhillmarket.com/
Denningers	http://www.denningers.com/
Zarky's	http://www.zarkys.com/
Ruby Eats	http://www.rubyeats.com/
Vincenzo's	http://www.vincenzosonline.com/main.cfm
Broadway Farm Market	http://www.broadwayfarms.com/
Max`s Market	http://maxsmarket.foodpages.ca/
The Candy Bar	http://www.thecandybar.ca/
Leylands	http://www.leylandsbritishfoods.ca/
Gift Stores
The Gallery Upstairs	http://thegalleryupstairs.com/
Coco Tea Company	http://www.cocoteaco.com/
Home Accents Emporium	http://www.homeaccentsemporium.com/
A Country Mile	http://www.acountrymile.ca/indexx.php
Dini & Co	http://www.diniandco.com/
Erin Mills Florist & Gifts	http://www.erinmillsflorist.com/
AGO	http://www.ago.net/shop
Event Network ROM	http://www.rom.on.ca/en
Allegra	http://www.allegraspa.com/
Toronto Zoo	http://www.torontozoo.com/
Hopewell Rocks	http://www.thehopewellrocks.ca/about-the-park/gift-shop

Wanna connect with Gnaw in Canada? Here's how you can do that!

Twitter
Facebook
Website

Go get some Gnaw!

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.*

Product Review: Downy Unstoppables

I don't know about you, but I love love love laundry that smells amazing! Nothing better than climbing into bed and having linens that smell fresh and clean!

Imagine my delight when Downy came out with an in-wash scent booster for laundry called Unstopables. They have a nice selection of scents; Shimmer, Lush, Fresh and Spring. One (or several) for every laundry doer out there! Let's face it, laundry stinks! Literally! So why not make it a more pleasant experience?

The scent I tried was Spring and it's really nice! What I loved about it was how long the scent actually lasts in your clothes. They claim the period the scent will remain is 12 weeks. I can verify that some items that haven't been worn since last spring are still smelling great! Score one for a product that lives up to it's claims!

Their newest scent is called "spring" and I really love it! As soon as I open the bottle my laundry room smells incredible but best of all it makes my home smell great once it hits the dryer! Seriously even my neighbours have asked me what I use in my laundry because the vented air smells so good in our backyards!

In terms of price I worked it out to be about $0.30 a load based on how much I put in. The bottle says: "Shake a little of a lot into the cap" I used about a tablespoon which is only about a third of the whole cap and it's more than enough. Though I do double that when washing large comforters and sheets.

Have you tried Unstopables yet?

*I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.*

Wordless Wednesday

Source

Little Girl Reviews: Peanut Butter Bundt Cake and Liligo Aprons

Mommy bought me a really cute new apron. It's actually perfect for me because it's all covered in pretty cupcakes! I love it because it's cute and keeps my clothes clean. Mommy loves it because it is durable and washes well. Not to mention it'll fit me for a long time!

It was made by Liligo you should check them out they make really cute dresses too!

My mom wanted to make a bundt cake because she had never made one before. She started off with a fresh strawberry lemon yogurt cake. It was really good but I like chocolate cake better. She promised the next one could be my pick. So when my time came I chose a peanut butter cup cake! She found it over on Whipped-the blog. I couldn't wait to try it! Mommy wan't in a rush so I had to bug her just enough times to make her say yes. It was a LOT of times! So we got baking!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake
1 box Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake mix
16 oz. sour cream
3 large eggs
20 mini peanut butter cups

For the glaze:
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the cake mix, sour cream and eggs in a bowl and beat with electric mixer or stand mixer on medium until fully combined, about 3-4 minutes. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Put half the batter in the pan. Cut peanut butter cups in quarters and sprinkle them over the batter. Top with remaining batter. Cook at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cake stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn it out on a rack to cool.

For the glaze: Heat milk in a sauce pan. Whisk peanut butter in to hot milk. Whisk in powdered sugar. Put cake on rack over a sheet pan (to catch extra glaze) Drizzle the glaze over the cake and serve right after glazing.

It is my favorite cake ever! Mommy let me eat some when it was still gooey and warm with a glass of cold milk. I made a terrible mess though. My face was so covered in cake that she had to wash it for me. You should make it for your kids unless peanuts are bad for you, then don't make it. But it's really really good!

You want a slice, admit it!!
If you make it let mommy and me know what you think of it!

Happy baking!

Mommy, Daughter Date Night

I was stumped. Out of ideas for tonight's date night with Miss Roo. We live in a small town and I was certain we were tapped out of things to do together.

When taking a quick scan of my Facebook feed a local cafe had posted they were having live entertainment early evening. The singer, a local girl, was just 13 so I thought it would be just perfect fit our date!

We arrived and picked our spots. Right up front in two cushy chairs. Then I went up and ordered it goodies. Two kiddie hit chocolates and a giant Nutella cookie to split. Total cost was under $5.00

I expected a cute tween singing radio crap with an average voice. What we got was a beautiful young woman, with a rich voice starting what I'm certain is the beginning of a brilliant music career.

This is Jessica Lockwood with the cafe owners after her performance.

Jessica sang radio songs yes, but she added her own flair to them in a way that made them richer. 

You can see her sing Ed Sheeran's song The A Team here

A really unexpected thing happened afterward. Something So incredible and beautiful. Roo came straight home and asked Aussie to borrow his guitar. She wanted to learn how to play guitar. She saw this beautiful girl sing and play her guitar and was inspired to follow suit. Adorable!

Roo trying to play her brothers guitar.

 Have you ever been inspired by someone to try something new?

Relay For Life 2013

This past Friday was our local Relay For Life. As a survivor of a year and a half I participated for the second year. I raised just over $500 this year and knew I would attempt to walk the entire night. Last year I was still not strong enough but this year I was determined to do it. Sadly I did not have my own team again. People just aren't interested but that's OK, because I did it alone. I had company for the survivor dinner, hubs joined me as he was my primary caregiver while I was sick, he earned that dinner. Afterwards Roo joined us as did my best friend and her kids. Roo walked with me until midnight, she really stuck it out but was exhausted so hubs took her home. I was left with my bff for company until 1am.

Beyond that I was truly alone. Walking lap after lap, freezing cold and exhausted but I kept going until finally the last lap was announced at 7am. I saw people reaching the finish line and collapsing into hugs from loved ones who were proudly waiting for them to celebrate their accomplishment. I had no one waiting for me so I skipped the last bit and headed straight to my car. It was really bitter sweet. I did it, I walked non stop all night so I was proud of myself but it really hurt me to finish alone with no one waiting to congratulate me. Next year I hope that will not be the case.

I'm still recovering, but hot baths and muscle rubs coupled with pain killers is helping!

Here are some photos of this years event:

Do you relay? If so, who do you walk for?

Wordless Wednesday